1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for playing a new game similar to American baseball. More specifically, the method and apparatus teach young children the fundamentals of American baseball by incorporating many aspects of the game.
2. Description of Prior Art
Other games have been modeled after American baseball in an effort to simplify the game enough to be enjoyable for those unskilled in the fundamentals. These games sometimes employ a larger bat and larger ball to make hitting the ball easier, a softer ball which reduces injuries from inaccurate throws and catches, or different rules to accommodate for lower skill levels to make playing and scoring easier. Examples are softball, whiffle ball, and teeball. In teeball, the relatively high skill levels required for a player to pitch a ball and another to hit it with a bat have been eliminated by placing the ball on a holder, the tee, and allowing the player to hit the ball with the bat from that stationary position. However, each of these games is still somewhat complex, requires the traditional running pattern to score a point which includes three bases and home plate, results in few players actually scoring, can be time consuming, and involves skill levels above those of the novice, especially young children. In short, the prior art still leaves some players with the feeling of frustration which is counter-productive to improving skills and robs players of a sense of accomplishment and fun.
Another problem with baseball and its variations is the difficulty in detecting whether a player reached the base before the ball is caught and is, thus, safe. Although it is known in the prior art to provide a base that indicates when a player has reached the base by emitting audible sound or visible light, none of the prior art devices are acceptable for use in the present invention. For example, bases disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 171,038 to O'Neill and U.S Pat. No. 2,298,689 to Ferris require a box containing a bell or circuit closing mechanisms to be set into the ground. The base sits on a pressure-sensitive frame so that when a player steps on the base the bell rings or the circuit to an electrical indicating device is closed. This, of course, means a box must be set into the ground. While this may work for permanent fields, for everyday play and on fields that are also used for other sports, the semi-buried box could prove inconvenient and hazardous.
Another base disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 1,066,773 to Wills, is similar but requires no box set into the ground. Here, the base is constructed of two plates having electric contact portions mounted on their edges and kept slightly apart by springs so that when a player steps on the upper of the two plates, the contact portions touch together, completing an electric circuit. The contact portions are connected to a bell or other signaling device which indicates when the circuit is complete. Some of the drawbacks of this base are its requirement for a source of electricity and the requirement that the indicator be located so as not to create a hazard to the player or the equipment.
The major drawback of such prior art bases is that they were designed to be used in the game of baseball and can not avoid missignals caused by a first baseman stepping on the base while playing. A more recent U.S. Pat. No. 2,440,042, to Friedman, discloses another base that contains switches. The switches are activated by magnets in the players' shoes so that when the shoe of a baseman touches the base, one light will be illuminated and when the shoe of a runner touches the base, a different light will be illuminated. However, the lights are located on the exterior of the base, requiring them to be wired to the base and placed where they are easy to use yet out of the way. Said base also requires that each player's shoes must be equipped with the appropriately polarized magnets. While this invention cures missignals, it also requires specialized equipment for each player and careful placement of the indicator lights and their connective wires to minimize harm to equipment and players.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a variation of traditional American baseball that is much less complex than others, teaches the fundamentals of the game, and is more appropriate for young children's physical skill levels and cognitive abilities.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of play that includes equipment specially designed to assist the player in developing skills including a portable, easily installed base that indicates by sound when a player has reached it but does not missignal. Further, the present invention contemplates equipment that does not create a hazard to the players by virtue of its installation.